The Pavel Molchanov Scholars Program

The Pavel Molchanov Scholars Program is an endowed internship program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute for the Environment. The program is a partnership between the UNC Institute for the Environment and environmentally-focused small businesses, non-profit organizations and government institutions in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Each year undergraduate students are matched with an environmental internship where they gain hands-on, professional training. Each Molchanov Scholar receives a $5,000 stipend to support their summer experience.

The UNC Institute for the Environment addresses environmental challenges by developing collaborations among diverse academic fields, public and private partners, and an informed and committed community. Undergraduate students in any environmentally-themed degree program who are interested in tackling complex environmental issues can apply for the Molchanov Scholarship.

Program contact: Mike Piehler, Director, UNC Institute for the Environment

The application period is closed. The next application cycle will begin in Dec. 2024.

Meet Pavel Molchanov

Pavel Molchanov is a director and equity research analyst at Raymond James & Associates. He joined the firm in 2003 and has since been working as part of the Energy Group, researching oil and gas, renewables, and clean technology. He joined the UNC Institute for the Environment Board of Visitors as a member in 2019, and he also serves as a member of the advisory board at Cool Effect, an environmental project-funding charity. In 2022, Molchanov was named to the Board of Visitors for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Molchanov discovered his passion for studying energy and natural resources while at Duke University, where he graduated cum laude in 2003 with a bachelor of science degree in economics.

“Thinking back to my college days, internships were the experiences that prepared me best for what I am doing currently,” Molchanov said. “I am delighted to support UNC undergraduates who want to gain first-hand exposure to environmental careers, an important and dynamic field.”

Program Alumni

Meet the 2024 Scholars

Tayton Alvis ’25

I worked as a fish biomonitoring technician at Mainspring Conservation Trust this summer. Read more.

Nicole Coursey ’26

I was a business development intern at Joules Accelerator, but also created social media marketing content. Read more.

Stella Ervin ’26 

This summer, I was a health and safety intern at the NC Clean Energy Fund, a non-profit operating on the green bank model. Read more.

Paul Hollis ’25

During my internship as a procurement intern at Strata Clean Energy, I had the opportunity to work with various departments on an optimization project. Read more.

Eloise MacLean ’25

This summer, I was a water quality intern for Sound Rivers, a non-profit that protects and maintains the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River watersheds. Read more.

Levi Mellin ’25

This summer, I interned for the North Carolina Clean Energy Fund (NCCEF) as a finance intern. Read more.

 

Sierra Stubbs ’26

I interned with the North Carolina Conservation Network on their State of the Environment (SOE) report team. Read more.

 

2023 Scholars

Anna Coley

I interned with the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA), specifically as a Marketing Intern with their Marketing and Communications Team. Read more.

John M. D’Ambrosio

I was the financial intern for Heelstone Renewable Energy in Chapel Hill. Read more.

Rachel Geyer

This summer, I was a Water Quality Intern with Sound Rivers, a non-profit organization protecting the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rivers. Read more.

 

Gianluca Giuffreda

My internship was with Strata Clean Energy, a vertically integrated, utility-scale solar company based in Durham, NC. Read more.

Annabel Margaret Grocott

I served as a Marketing and Business Development Intern for SeaAhead. Read more.

Kristina Hefferle

This summer I was an intern at Greensboro Science Center in their research and conservation department on a multi-year, multi-site wetland mitigation project. Read more.

Karen Jordan

I had two internships, one with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and one with NC State’s Agroecology Education Farm. Read more.

Jason Yan

I was a project development intern on the Southeast Transmission team at Cypress Creek Renewables. Read more.

2022 Scholars

Caitlin Flanagan

I was a summer intern for Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association (CCEBA). I got to do a variety of research projects at CCEBA. Read more.

Carlee Malone

I interned with Strata Clean Energy, a clean energy company founded in Chapel Hill and based in Durham, as a finance intern. Read more.

Vy Pham

During my internship at the Greensboro Science Center, I gained a lot of hands-on experience by going out to the field to bait and trap small mammals to doing lab works such as water quality control. Read more.

 

Maia Schweikert

I worked with Sound Rivers as a Water Quality Intern for the Upper Neuse Region. Read more.

2021 Scholars

Taylor Fitzgerald

While working as a communications intern at NCSEA, I took part in assisting with general communication efforts as well as policy-focused communications. Read more.

Summer Lanier

I was an intern within the Supply Chain department and led various automation efforts to increase their efficiency, while also helping the team with day to day vendor communications and qualification efforts. Read more.

Jessica Reid

At Carolina Solar Services, I was a communications intern. I identified communications opportunities through a communications audit. Read more.

Nate Shroyer

Birdseye gives their interns the rewarding experience of a diverse internship. I worked most of my time with the business development team: filling out RFPs and discussing how solar projects can be financed and developed. Read more.

Aleah Tilson

At Sound Rivers, I primarily worked on two things—Swim Guide and a research project focused on biogas usage in North Carolina. Read more.

2020 Scholars

Emma Calhoun

I’m working in business development at Birdseye Renewables as their “Solar Market Analyst Intern.” Read more.

Natalie Gauger

I conduct research for Southerly’s Gulf Coast correspondent, manage all social media accounts, create marketing deliverables, and compile information for internal assignments. Read more.

Noah Shaner

I’m helping with the Heelstone Renewables development team. The primary focus of this team to is develop new solar projects in various states. Read more.

Rebecca Williams

I am currently working with Don’t Waste Durham as the Research Utilization Intern. A lot of my work this summer has focused on research regarding the safety of reusables during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

Amelia Woodall

This summer at Sound Rivers, I am one of three Swim Guide interns. The Swim Guide program is an effort spanning the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River Basins in North Carolina where the basin Riverkeepers, interns, and volunteers monitor water quality at various recreational sites, focusing on E. coli bacteria levels. Read more.

2019 Scholars

Cassidy Harding

At the Environmental Defense Fund, I am creating a database of governance structures existent across the U.S. to be utilized as a tool for finding applicable frameworks for landscape conservation in Eastern North Carolina. Read more.

Dylan Burns

The main project that I’ve been working on at Solar Operations Solutions has been writing the code for two websites, the first one being the updated company website and the second one being a product page for a new piece of solar technology that the company has been developing. Read more.